Starter Button Stopped Doing its Thing

[orpheus11]

I recently bought a 1996 FJ which needs some attention. The starter button was cranking the engine last week but today it does nothing.
Not even a click.
Fuses ok and the battery is fine. I need a new starter? Replace the relay?? Any advice would be helpful thank you

[fj1289]

First guess will be the starter switch needs to me disassembled and cleaned.

BUT - always best to troubleshoot and pinpoint the issue BEFORE jumping to solutions!  However, in this case, starter switch issues are not uncommon as these bikes get older and it falls into the "can't hurt" and "free" categories (as long as you don't lose any of the small parts in the switch gear!) 

Can try jumping volts straight to the relay to see if that works   If so, you know the start switch is not passing 12 volts to the control side of the relay. 

If not, can try running a jumper cable directly from the battery an touching the other end to the cable going to the starter motor.  Then you'll know the starter is OK and it is most likely the relay. 

Also a good idea to check the front connections on the wiring harness and clean those up - they can get corroded over time. 

Good luck and let us know how you get on with your re-acquired FJ!

[Sparky84]

I recently bought a 1996 FJ which needs some attention. The starter button was cranking the engine last week but today it does nothing.
Not even a click.
Fuses ok and the battery is fine. I need a new starter? Replace the relay?? Any advice would be helpful thank you

Have you checked kill switch.......

[FJmonkey]

Does the headlamp go off when the starter switch is pressed?

[ribbert]

I recently bought a 1996 FJ which needs some attention. The starter button was cranking the engine last week but today it does nothing.
Not even a click.
Fuses ok and the battery is fine. I need a new starter? Replace the relay?? Any advice would be helpful thank you

Have you checked kill switch.......

As the bike is new to you, that is an excellent suggestion. Eliminate the simple stuff first.

Noel

[red]

I recently bought a 1996 FJ which needs some attention. The starter button was cranking the engine last week but today it does nothing. Not even a click.  Fuses ok and the battery is fine. I need a new starter? Replace the relay?? Any advice would be helpful thank you

Orpheus,

Did you try starting the bike in Neutral?  The clutch lever switch and/or the sidestand switch can prevent the starter from working, when in any gear,

[orpheus11]

Thank you for the replies. Iv checked everything and im confident its the starter motor. Im going to pull it out and clean it up to try and fix it

[red]

Thank you for the replies. Iv checked everything and im confident its the starter motor. Im going to pull it out and clean it up to try and fix it

orpheus,

I am curious about how you checked the kill switch, sidestand switch, and clutch lever switch.  In each case, you would need to apply a jumper wire to the correct pins for each switch.  With the bike on the center stand, try to start the bike with the kill switch in each setting (On/lOff).  Repeat the test with the sidestand up and down.  Engage a gear and try to start the bike in gear, with the clutch lever pulled.  If the bike starts with the jumper wire in place, then you remove the jumper wire and the problem reappears, then that switch (only) is bad.

I seriously doubt that the starter would cause the problem you have, especially if you do not hear the starting relay (solenoid) click when you hit the starter button.  A blown fuse or bad solenoid would be far more likely.  There is a way to test the solenoid using a heavy jumper wire, too.

If I removed the starter motor and found that it was the old two-brush starter motor, I would replace the starter motor outright with a good four-brush starter motor.  Still, if your solenoid does not click, even the new starter motor probably will not fix your problem.

[mike g]

jump the battery straight to the motor is the easy check or spanner across the solenoid terminals

[orpheus11]

Thanks everyone. I checked everything and simply bypassing the relay turns over the starter so Im gonna replace it.
I made a couple of youtube videos working on the parts check them out!

https://youtu.be/MKS97vNJAYQ

https://youtu.be/OVBxcGEW8gU